Shared Reparation
by klcthenerd
Summary: The witches are mad at Damon for what he did to Abby. Order must be restored, but who's willing to take the metaphorical bullet to save him? Damon/Elena. Spoilers for 3x15. T for language and possible steamy scenes.
1. Chapter 1

After a two year hiatus, I'm back! Wow, it's been a while. I'll update my bio...I won't ramble about my life here. This is my first story for The Vampire Diaries, and I hope I'm able to do the characters justice. I'm trying, and constructive criticism is always welcome, as are fabulous reviews! I'll try to update frequently, and I have an idea of where this story is going, so I hope you enjoy! Oh, and I'm not to fond of the title...I just needed something. I'm seriously _terrible_ with titles. Please enjoy!

* * *

><p>Shared Reparation<p>

"Why are we here again?" Damon asked as he, his brother, and Elena exited the car and started for the old witch house.

"We're trying to see if we can get a clue to where Esther and Fin disappeared to," Stephen explained, walking past his brother and Elena, leading the way.

"Ah yes, Mama Original and her evil plan," Damon nodded, following his brother, leaving Elena to trail behind or catch up. "I thought we nipped that thing in the bud. You know, the whole turning Abby Bennett thing that happened yesterday?"

"I can't believe you're so cavalier about this," Elena piped up angrily, coming to walk beside the eldest Salvatore. "Bonnie's really upset about this."

"Well, it was a better solution than killing her, so really Bonnie should be thanking me," Damon shot back at the brunette girl. He knew what she was fishing for, and she wasn't going to get it. He wasn't going to apologize for saving her life, because for some reason, he still cared, even if she made it perfectly clear she didn't reciprocate his feelings.

"Thanking you? Damon you-"

"Both of you; stop it!" Stefan commanded as he stopped in the middle of the circle where the ritual was supposed to take place. "Something's different," he observed, surveying the area around him.

"Really? You were able to figure it out that quickly?" Damon doubtfully asked his brother, his ice blue eyes still boring defiantly into Elena's. "All hail Stefan," he said in a lower, almost accusatory voice, directed at Elena, though he knew very well that his brother would be able to hear.

Something in Elena's brown eyes seemed to soften as she picked up on a hurt behind the accusing tone Damon used. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt every time she looked at Damon ever since the Original's ball. He had done quite a few things since then to piss her off, but as much as she hated to admit it, she cared about him.

"I know you two have unresolved sexual tension between you, but can we focus on this before Elena puts herself in danger again, as she will undoubtedly do?" Stefan called over to his brother and his ex-girlfriend.

"Why of course, brother," Damon answered, breaking his gaze with Elena as he made his way over to where Stefan was. "What did you find?" he asked, stepping into the sacrificial circle.

As Stefan opened his mouth to speak, he stopped at the sight of his brother doubling over, grabbing his head. "Damon?" the younger Salvatore asked urgently.

He was met by a scream of anguish as Damon fell to the ground.

"Damon!" Elena shouted, running to where the eldest Salvatore was writhing on the ground as his younger brother bent over him, unsure of what he should do, a look of worry clearly displayed on his face. She reached the brothers and Stefan looked at her, his eyes frantic. "What's wrong?" she asked, panicking.

"I don't know," Stefan admitted, sounding baffled and scared. "Damon, what is it?" he asked as Elena grabbed his brother, trying to keep him still as the screaming continued.

Damon thrashed against Elena's touch, trying to form words. "Witch!" he was able to shout before the word turned into a scream.

Elena and Stefan looked at each other, knowing that what they had to do next would not be easy.

"Go call Bonnie," Stefan instructed. Elena shook her head.

"Call Caroline, she's over there. Bonnie won't answer my calls, I'm sure she wouldn't answer you either. Get Caroline to bring her, I'll stay with Damon," Elena said.

"You call Caroline, and I'll stay with Damon."

"Do you really think this arguing is helping? We're just wasting time!" Elena snapped at him. With a solemn look, Stefan ran a distance to call the blonde vampire.

Elena could tell his guard was down, but she didn't know if his insistence that he remained with his brother stemmed from concern or jealousy. She pushed the possible reasons for Stefan's behavior out of her mind and concentrated on the Salvatore before her.

The brunette sat on the ground beside him, grasping his hand in her own, pushing aside the terrible things he had done as of late. The sight of Damon struggling on the ground, the agony behind his screams made Elena want to run as far away as she could, but she knew she had to be there for him, just like he had been for her. She began tracing small circles on the back of his hand, hoping that if she could just give him the slightest bit of reassurance, it could help him.

"I'm here, Damon. I won't leave you."

Stefan was waiting by the road when Bonnie pulled up behind his car. The witch narrowed her eyes and slammed the door of the vehicle shut as she marched towards him.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Who do you think told Caroline to send you out here?" Stefan replied coolly, his façade up once again.

"Leave Caroline alone, Stefan," Bonnie demanded. "Leave me alone," she said, shaking her head before turning back to the car.

Stefan ran to stop in front of her, grabbing her arm, not with force, but with urgency.

"Bonnie. Damon's in trouble," he said seriously, fear showing in his eyes. "Bonnie, I know that neither of us deserve your help, and I'm sorry for what happened to your mom. But please, if you help my brother, you can get the Grimoire from where you left it, and we'll never bother you again."

Before Bonnie could respond to Stefan's plea, Elena's panicked voice rang through the air.

"Stefan!"

His brown eyes seemed to beg the witch, who, though not one hundred percent alright with the idea, nodded. They both took off running to where Elena and Damon were.

What they found when they got there was what seemed like an unconscious Damon and a very shaken up Elena.

"He just…stopped screaming and went limp," Elena explained, her face wet with tears. She looked at Stefan with a terror in her eyes he had only seen when Klaus was about to sacrifice her.

The vampire shook his head at her unasked question. "He's not dead, Elena."

Elena nodded, trying to regain her composure before looking at Bonnie. "So you're going to help?" she asked carefully, standing up.

With a heavy sigh, Bonnie nodded. Though she was still harboring resentment towards the girl, they were best friends and she hated seeing her so upset.

Elena walked up to her and embraced the witch, not just in thanks for helping Damon, but in apology for everything that had happened between them since the paranormal activities of the town had come to light.

"I'm so sorry, Bonnie. For everything. It's all because of me," she said in a tearful voice, squeezing her friend.

Bonnie's reluctance wore down before long, and she was returning the hug, stroking her friend's brown hair to soothe her. She wasn't going to say it was okay, because both of them knew it wasn't, but she could say what Elena was hoping for, and what Bonnie had searched herself for all night.

"I forgive you, Elena. You can't help what you are. You didn't ask to be the doppelgänger, you couldn't have known everything it would lead to. I am going to need a little time, though, just to deal with my mom. It won't have any effect on our friendship, I just need time," she told the sniffling girl, tears slowly falling from her own eyes.

Elena pulled back from the girl, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes as she nodded. The two girls shared a melancholy smile before the witch made her way over to Damon and Elena made her way over to stand next to Stefan.

Bonnie kneeled before the unconscious vampire before placing a hand on his wrist. She could feel the spirits of the witches around her, and she could tell they were angry.

Elena was watching her friend intensely as the man beside her was alternating between anxious and stoic. She noticed his facial fluctuations and crossed her arms as she stared at Bonnie and Damon.

"Your humanity's showing," the brunette quipped.

"But I was your girlfriend, Stefan! Your girlfriend who spent months looking for you, who never stopped loving you through everything," she shot, trying to keep her voice low so Bonnie could focus. She took a step closer to Stefan, now looking him in the eyes. "Why can you show your emotions for your brother, but not me?"

"Because, Elena, I hurt you. And I know I did, and I hate myself for it," he explained, looking away. A small, sad smirk appeared on his lips as he looked back at the girl he loved. "Besides, you stopped loving me a while ago." _You just haven't realized it._

"Stefan, what are you-"

Damon's screams rang out through the trees again, just as chilling as the first time. Bonnie's voice was barely audible above them.

"Elena, Stefan! I think I know what's wrong with him."

* * *

><p>There it is, chapter 1! I'm actually going to start chapter 2 as soon as I upload this. This WILL be a Delena story, but I really want them to grow into it, and I don't want to make Stefan a huge douche for no reason. Please review and tell me what you think!<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys! Thanks so much for favoriting/alerting/reviewing this! I got a bigger response than I expected! It's so great to get the emails saying that people are liking my story, and I want to thank every one of you for that. Don't be afraid to review! I love hearing what you guys have to say!

This chapter is dedicated to **boothishot**, who was my first reviewer. Thank you so much!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

Stefan and Elena ran over to where Bonnie was standing up near Damon, who was thrashing around once more. Bonnie's eyebrows were furrowed as she looked at the two, not really sure how to explain things.

"The witches are angry with Damon," she began to explain, looking at Damon and trying to recite word by word what the spirits of her ancestors had said. "He turned a witch into a vampire, thereby disrupting the balance of nature and exceeded the tolerance of the witches. If he can't fix what he's done…" she trailed off, looking into the eyes of Stefan, then Elena. "If he can't fix what he's done, they are going to torture him until he… until…" Bonnie trailed off, not sure how to put it delicately, but sure that the two before her understood what she was trying to say.

Elena and Stefan looked at each other, fear in both of their eyes.

"How can he fix it?" Stefan asked.

Bonnie hesitated. "They didn't say. I don't really know how he can even do that. The balance of witches in the world is off; the only way to fix it is to somehow make another witch."

"I thought witches were born, not made," Elena stated, looking at Bonnie inquisitively.

"They are. I don't know what they're expecting-"

"I don't either! It's not like he's capable of doing anything! All he's doing is screaming in pain and passing out because of pain! They're not even giving him a chance!" Elena shouted, first at her friend, then at the old abandoned house.

Stefan put a hand on Elena's shoulder to calm her down, but she jerked away, walking over to Damon's ever-twisting form.

"Bonnie…is there any way to…Do you think in the Grimoire…there's a way to…"

Bonnie looked at the vampire before her, and it was the first time she had seen any emotion from him for months. He looked defeated, and even though Bonnie said she would leave after deducing what was wrong with Damon, she found she couldn't. She sighed.

"I'll check the Grimoire, Stefan, but I don't know. It seems like a long shot," she admitted. Stefan nodded his head a little more than necessary, and Bonnie saw what she had missed; the brown eyes that had been so emotionless, so stoic for months, were wet, forming tears their owner didn't wish to shed. Without thinking, she reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his forearm. "I'm gonna try, Stefan. I know how much he means to you."

Stefan nodded in thanks. "I'm going to put him in the car," he managed to say before walking over to his now silent brother, leaving Bonnie to fetch the Grimoire from the house.

Every now and then Stefan would look in the rearview mirror to make sure Bonnie was still following them on the way to the Salvatore house. Then his eyes would fall on the back seat, where Elena sat, cradling his unconscious brother. Sometimes when he looked back, she's be looking out the window, other times her eyes would be on the face of the older Salvatore, worry and compassion etched into her features.

"He does love you, you know," he found himself saying one time he looked at the two. It was when her eyes were on Damon, her hand brushing some hair off of his sweaty forehead. Elena looked up, surprised at Stefan's confession. Something unrecognizable passed over her features and she looked out the window once more.

"We're not having this discussion, Stefan."

Elena knew how Damon felt. And she knew how she felt about Damon. That was the part that scared her the most; knowing that she loved both the brothers, just as Katherine did. She was turning into the one person she swore to herself she'd never become, and she couldn't stop it. Her love for Damon was different than her love for Stefan. She couldn't describe how or why it was different, but it was something that she felt. She knew Stefan still loved her, but if he seemed so insistent on keeping the switch of his emotions off, was there really a point in pining over him?

That's not to say Damon was her second choice. It wasn't about first or second. It was like comparing an apple to an orange. Two completely different types of people, two completely different types of love. She was just confused as to which one was the right love for her? Which one did she need?

She felt Damon tense up in her lap and she took his hand, ready for him to start screaming again. What she didn't expect was for Damon to squeeze her hand in return.

"Elena?"

Stefan almost crashed the car as he looked back in disbelief. Elena looked at Stefan, matching his look, before looking down at the vampire whose head was in her lap.

"I'm here Damon," she said softly, rubbing circles on the back of his hand with her thumb.

"The witches are really pissed off at me," he said, trying to crack a smile, eyes still closed. Elena couldn't help but smile along. He still had his spirit, he wasn't broken.

"We're working on it, Damon. We're going to fix the mess you got yourself into this time," Elena teased lightly, hoping to take his mind off the pain.

"Oh great. My life is in the hands of you, Mr. Frowns-a-Lot, and the witch whose mother I turned into a vampire. That's reassuring." His ice blue eyes opened slowly, and he was able to look at Elena for the first time in weeks without feeling sorrow. She was taking care of him, she wouldn't leave him.

He was able to see her smile at him weakly before he felt the pain come on once more. His grip on her hand tightened, her features transforming from happiness to fear instantaneously. Not knowing when he'd actually be able to speak to her next aside from screaming curses at the witches, he was able to muster out the one thing he feared more than whatever was happening to him right now.

"Elena, no matter what is happening, don't do something stupid!"

Elena unlocked the door as Stefan carried his thrashing brother indoors and Bonnie walked in, head in the Grimoire, furiously reading.

Bonnie plopped herself down on the couch as Stefan entered the room, Damon audible in the distance. Elena was pacing the living room, hoping Bonnie could find an answer.

Stefan came up to the pacing girl and cautiously took her in his arm, needing her comfort more than she needed his. She allowed him to embrace her for about half a minute before pulling away to sit next to Bonnie.

What felt so right now felt to wrong, it seemed. As much as she wanted to believe Stefan would return to his old self, she began to wonder if things would be the same. She just didn't feel as comfortable around him as she used to.

Bonnie had paused on a page, reading a passage over and over, heart pounding in her chest. Was this the one? It eerily fit the situation almost perfectly, and it was much easier than somehow making a witch.

Elena noticed a change in Bonnie's demeanor. As Bonnie looked up from the Grimoire, she found Elena's eyes filled with hope, looking at her for confirmation.

"I think I found it," Bonnie smiled nervously. Stefan rushed over to the girls, hopeful that the witch could save his brother.

"It's…drastic," Bonnie started. "You're not going to like it," she said, looking Stefan in the eye. She took a deep breathe, delving back into the passage. "'Should a vampire attack a witch, and order be disrupted, a vampire must die, a witch must be created," she paused before continuing, "or the afflicting vampirism must be transferred to another.' And then it has the spell."

Elena and Stefan were silent as the reality of the information soaked in. Stefan seemed to be speechless as Elena shakily spoke.

"So…I have to become a vampire."

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter! I actually wasn't planning on updating today, but your response was just so great, I wanted to give you something in return! Please PLEASE review!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you all SO MUCH for your great responses! I've already started chapter 5 out of motivation. Chapter 5 is as far as my thinking process has led me to, so it might take me a little longer to update after that. To encourage reviews, I'm going to leave two things in the end author's note, and you tell me what you prefer. And while you're at it, let me know what you think of the story! Hope you like this chapter!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

Bonnie and Stefan stared at Elena.

"Absolutely not, Elena," Stefan asserted

"Why not, Stefan? Do you want your brother to die?" she quipped.

"He told you not to do anything stupid. Last time I checked, this qualified as stupid!"

Elena turned her attention to Bonnie.

"Will it save Damon?"

The witch hesitated. Nowhere in the text did it specifically say it would save the offending vampire, but by putting two and two together, one could almost be sure it would.

"Well, it doesn't specifically say so, but-"

"Bonnie," Elena said, causing her best friend to meet her eyes, determined and desperate. "Will it save Damon?"

The witch nodded.

"That settles it, then," Elena decided. She saw Stefan begin to protest again, and cut him off. "Stefan, I'm not letting any more people get hurt because of me. I have a chance to undo what's happened to Bonnie's mom, and I'm not letting an innocent stranger get hurt because I'm too scared," Elena argued.

"It has to be done within the first 24 hours of the beginning of a transition, so we really don't have time to debate this," Bonnie pressed, looking up from the Grimoire.

Stefan opened his mouth to protest yet again, but Elena cut him off.

"I'm _doing_ this, Stefan. With or without your help."

Stefan looked at the brunette girl before him. Her shoulders were squared at him, her look determined and defiant. He knew there was no talking her out of this, and frankly, he didn't know if there was even an alternative solution. He knew Damon would hate him for allowing her to go through with this, but Stefan would be damned if he lost his brother. He heaved a deep sigh and looked at Bonnie.

"Can you and Caroline bring Abby over in an hour?" he asked, not looking at Elena. Bonnie nodded.

"Then I guess it's settled," he adjourned, storming out of the room, leaving Bonnie and Elena to stare after him. Bonnie was the first to break the silence.

"Are you sure about this, Elena?" she asked the girl. She was nervous about the outcome, and hoped she could perform the spell under the pressure that the lives of two people she cared deeply about would be on the line. Elena nodded.

"It's what's right, Bonnie. So many people have died; so many people have been put in the way of danger because of me. If I can do this, maybe that will stop. I'm tired of hurting the people I care about."

"What about Stefan and Damon?" Bonnie asked, trying to lighten the serious mood. She watched as her friend's face crumpled into defeat.

"I don't know, Bonnie. I don't really want to talk about it," Elena sighed.

Bonnie, horrified that her plan to lighten the mood had backfired, nodded and hugged her friend. "I'm going to get Caroline and Abby. I'll be back," she said, fighting back the tears that threatened to form at the thought of what was to happen. She embraced the brunette before getting up and walking out of the door.

Elena waited to make sure Bonnie was gone for the hour before the brunette girl allowed her brave front to crumble.

She curled up on the sofa, trying to quiet the sobs that were wracking through her body. She never wanted this. She didn't want to become a vampire, but she was tired of everyone getting hurt to protect her. She was terrified of what was going to happen, and the only person whose comfort she needed was unconscious at the current moment.

She knew she had to suck it up. One sign of weakness and Stefan would pull the plug on this whole thing, and she couldn't let him do that. They both needed Damon, whether they would admit it or not. She would have time to mope about her transformation after the fact. Hell, she would have eternity to mope about it.

Elena sat up and wiped her eyes, trying to reduce the redness and swelling. She was going through with this and no one was stopping her.

She had seen Stefan storm off towards the cellars, so she made her way to where Damon was resting. She looked at him, weak and helpless, and was reminded of the night when he told her he loved her, the night they were both sure he was going to die. She wanted to curl up next to him, like she had done that night, and have him comfort her, like she needed.

Instead, she sat on the edge of the bed, taking his hand and making the familiar circle patterns with her thumb, biting back her tears. She let out a shaky sigh.

"It's the last hour I'm going to be a human, and you don't get to enjoy it with me," she joked. "You're going to be furious when you wake up, Damon," she laughed, trying to make herself feel better. Her demeanor changed as she thought of her future.

"I don't want to do this, Damon," she admitted. "But I'm not going to let you die." Elena curled up next to Damon, not caring about when he would start screaming again. Even unconscious, he was a better comfort to her than Stefan. She let a few tears trickle down from her eyes as she thought of everything she'd miss out on and everything she was giving up.

She didn't know how long she'd been there with Damon when Stefan appeared in the doorway, his mask of uncaring back on his face.

"Bonnie's pulling up in the driveway," Stefan announced. "Come on."

Elena nodded, wiping her eyes once Stefan turned around. She squeezed Damon's hand before leaving, trying to savor every last moment of humanity she could.

She got back to the living room to find Bonnie and Caroline standing and conferencing with Stefan while Abby was unconscious on the couch. Elena's three friends looked in her direction as she entered the room, and Caroline was the first to rush over and hug her.

"Oh Elena!" was all she had to say. Caroline had not chosen this life for herself, and she still hated it sometimes. Elena hugged the blonde back.

"Has Bonnie told you anything about the spell?" The brunette asked, still embracing her friend.

"You have to have vampire blood in your system, die, and then she can start working her magic."

Elena nodded. Regardless if the spell worked or not, she would be a vampire by the end of the day. This brought more unwelcomed tears, which she fought to hold back. Caroline must have noticed, because she tried to cheer her friend up.

"Hey, look at it this way: we really _will_ be best friends forever!" she tried, though as soon as she said it, she knew what Elena would be thinking about, because it was the same thing she saw in her mind: Elena and Caroline, hundreds of years in the future, without Bonnie.

Elena pulled back and gave her a weak smile, thanking her for trying. She took a deep breath.

"Caroline, I want it to be your blood," Elena said to the blonde, who looked shocked. The thought of turning with Stefan's blood just seemed so…unfair to Damon. And besides, Caroline was one of her best friends, so why not?

The blonde nodded, feeling honored that Elena would ask that of her. She brought her wrist to her mouth, making a sound of pain as she bit into the flesh with her fangs. She held out her arm uncertainly to Elena, who looked up at Caroline, over at Bonnie and Stefan, and then back down to the wrist before her. She slowly lowered her head down and began to drink the blood from Caroline's wrist, hating everything about the liquid that would soon be the only way for her to survive.

Once she felt she drank enough, she wiped her mouth, her stomach turning. Bonnie stepped forward, grabbing her friend's hands.

"Elena, are you sure about this?" she asked one last time.

In a split second of hesitation, Elena thought about backing out. She thought about being able to continue living her life like a normal human. She thought about all the people that could be killed trying to save her. She thought about Damon.

"Yes."

At Elena's confirmation, Bonnie looked to the younger Salvatore. He walked forward to meet Elena in the middle of the room, dreading what he had to do. His eyes took in every inch of her body, as if ingraining it to his memory.

Stefan looked into the brown eyes of the girl he loved, human for the last time. A tear fell as he mustered up all his strength, and snapped her neck.

* * *

><p>You hate me. I know you do. I'm so sorry you guys. It just seemed like the perfect place to end the chapter. You all better review...cause some intense stuff just happened in those last two sentences. Also, here's the question:<p>

Coke or Pepsi?

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

I'm breaking my rules. I don't have chapter 5 written yet, but I'm about half way through, and I didn't want to punish you guys. I have a lot of homework this week, so don't expect daily updates. Thanks so much for the response for the last chapter! The tally was as followed: Coke: 4 Pepsi: 4. And there was a write-in candidate for Dr. Pepper/Sprite, haha. Again, thanks so much for the reviews-especially to the anonymous ones who I can't reply to. So, here's chapter 4, I really hope I don't disappoint. Please PLEASE let me know what you think of this chapter.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

His muscles ached as soon as he became conscious. There was an incessant thumping in his head that felt like it was going to split him half. He was weak.

"And sweaty," he murmured to himself, his lip curling up in disgust as he felt the dampness of his body.

Damon willed his blue eyes to open for the first time in hours, and looked around, a ripple of emotion coursing through his body as he noticed nobody was in the room with him. He managed to sit up and reason with himself.

Elena had said she wouldn't leave him, so she hadn't. She was eating, or sleeping, or doing something in the house, he could feel it.

Damon gingerly got out of the bed, heading to where he and his brother kept the blood bags, needing to eat before he attacked the first human he saw. This made the vampire chuckle as the thought of attacking Elena, knowing with how weak he was she'd easily be able to fight him off, if Stefan didn't get to him first.

When he opened the ice chest where the blood was stored, he was dismayed to only find one bag left. Damon was shocked; his brother hadn't had human blood since the Wickery Bridge incident, what had caused him to break?

The elder Salvatore indulged in the blood, his eyes closing in euphoria as he nourished the itching hunger that had consumed his body. Once completely drained, he tossed the empty bag over his shoulder, his hunger not satiated.

Damon marched out of the room, looking for his brother, who he hoped was out getting more blood and not in bed with Elena.

He caught his brother leaning against a doorframe, staring into one of the spare rooms of the Salvatore house.

"Hello, brother," Damon called, trying not to show gratitude towards Stefan, though he knew he probably owed the other vampire his life.

Stefan turned around and his expression caught Damon off-guard. It looked like he had been holding back tears, and his jaw was clenched, arms crossed. He crossed to Damon, not looking his brother in the eye.

"Damon. There's something you should know."

Damon could feel the blood in his veins turning into ice, could feel his stomach drop, taking his heart with it, leaving him with nothing inside.

"What's wrong with her? Is she okay?" he asked urgently.

"Damon, I couldn't stop her-"

"Let me see her," he shoved his brother aside and walked to the room Stefan had been looking into. He saw Elena lying on one side of the bed, lifeless, and Abby Bennett on next to her, identical. Caroline was sitting next to Elena, holding one of her hands, and Bonnie was in the corner of the room, clutching the Grimoire to her chest, watching the bed with tears in her eyes.

"What the fuck did you do, Bennet?" Damon demanded, using his vampire speed to trap her in the corner before she knew what was happening. Her eyes were wide in shock.

"Damon! You're alive!"

"What. Did. You. _Do?_" Damon reiterated, his voice deadly. Caroline grabbed him and pinned him to the wall.

"If Damon's alive, that means the spell worked!" Bonnie told Stefan, who was walking over the threshold. A wave of relief coursed through her body, as well as Stefan and Caroline's. "Now we just wait."

"If someone doesn't tell me what's wrong with Elena right now-"

"She's transitioning, Damon," Stefan informed him from his spot by the door, looking at the ground.

The older Salvatore became silent, looking from his brother, to Elena, to Bonnie, and back to his brother before throwing him against the wall.

"Why did you let her do that? Did you think of what would happen? What about Klaus? What about her _life_, Stefan?"

Stefan threw his brother back before responding.

"I couldn't stop her, Damon. We had limited time, and we weren't going to let you die!"

"Oh yeah, because this is so much better," Damon said bitterly, gesturing to Elena.

"It was her choice, Damon," Caroline spoke up, placing a hand softly on his arm. He flinched before pulling away, walking out of the room.

Stefan, Caroline, and Bonnie looked at each other, sadness on each of their faces.

"I'll go talk to him," Stefan announced, starting for the door.

"Yeah, 'cause that worked so well the first time?" Caroline snorted. "I'll do it," she said softly, following Damon.

"Damon?"

She found him tossing back a glass of Bourbon, his eyes red.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He glared at her.

"Yes, Caroline. Let's talk about it. Let's talk about how Elena gave up her humanity to turn into a monster. Let's talk about how she'll never have kids. Let's talk about how she'll be running from Klaus for the rest of one of their lives. Let's talk about how it's all my fault. Oh, and let's talk about how the girl I love will be walking around for eternity with my _brother's_ blood coursing in her veins, since I'm assuming Prince Charming Stefan is the one that turned her. Let's talk about it, Caroline," Damon finished, taking another huge gulp of Bourbon.

Caroline stared at the raven-haired vampire, trying to figure out how she could make this situation seem better than it was. She chose her words carefully.

"Damon, she did it to save you. She didn't want to see you die. She cares about you."

Damon scoffed.

"She knew what she was doing. She can make her own decisions, Damon, she's a big girl."

"Yes, but why did it have to be because of _me_?" Damon shouted, throwing his empty glass at a wall. His head snapped back to Caroline, his eyes wild with anger and sorrow. "She's going to resent me for the rest of her life! Every time she looks at me, she's going to see the person who ruined her life."

"She may at first," Caroline admitted. "I don't think she will, but it's something that could happen, Damon."

"I thought to you were coming to console me," he said bitterly.

"My point is, it may happen, but it won't last. Do you know why Damon? Because she loves you. She may not want to admit it, but she does. That's why she asked for my blood and not Stefan's. Because it wouldn't be fair. To you," Caroline finished.

Damon sat, speechless. He hated himself for being what ultimately caused Elena to turn into a vampire, but what Caroline said helped to blur the pain, if only a little, and if only temporarily.

"Now are you going to keep pouting, or are you going to come with me to be there when Elena wakes up? It's going to be hard for her, but I know she'll be glad to see you're okay," the blonde girl said as she headed for the door. As she passed him, she crinkled her nose. "You might want to shower first, though. We don't need the first thing Elena smells to be your sweat."

Damon let out a short laugh. "And let Stefan to be the first one she sees when she wakes up? Like hell, I will."

Caroline walked into Elena's room, shortly followed by Damon, who made a beeline over to the chair next to Elena, where Bonnie was sitting. The witch looked up to see Damon nodding his head, signaling her to move. As she stood up to do so, he caught her arm, causing her to meet his eyes.

"Thanks," Damon said genuinely. It wasn't much, but then again, Bonnie wasn't really expecting much. She managed a smile and nodded, taking a seat next to her mother.

Caroline and Stefan leaned against the wall by the door, staring at the bed, waiting for signs of movement. Stefan turned to Bonnie.

"Maybe we should move Abby to the living room before Elena wakes up," he suggested. At the witch's approval, he moved to pick Abby up. The two exited the room, searching for a comfortable spot for the older witch.

After about five minutes of Caroline and Damon staring at Elena in silence, there was a hint of movement. At the sign of her fingers twitching, Caroline crawled onto the bed, grasping her left hand. Damon did the same with her right hand, drawing small circles with his thumbs. The motion felt familiar, but he couldn't place it.

The brunette's chest started to rise and fall, more and more obvious than before. Caroline looked at Damon excitedly as Elena started to move her neck.

Brown eyes slowly opened, blinking a few times to gain focus before looking around the room. They darted to the right as the feeling of circles on the back of her right hand registered in her mind. A weak, tired, smile formed on her lips as she saw the man beside her.

"Damon."

* * *

><p>There you go! I hope it was satisfactory. This isn't the end of how Damon handles it, I think it will extend either into chapter 5, or chapter 6. Please review, it helps motivate me, and I really like hearing what y'all think.<p>

This chapter's question: Chocolate candy or sour candy?


	5. Chapter 5

So...um...this might be the second to last chapter...but more on that later.

Thanks so much for all the positive reviews! I'm sorry I made y'all wait so long! Like I said, I have a lot of homework this week, and I'm wondering where I'm taking this story. So the tally results for last chapter are as followed: Chocolate: 6, Sour: 1, Sour and Chocolate mixed together: 1.

Enjoy chapter 5 and REVIEW!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Damon smiled down sadly at the brunette, ecstatic that she was awake, but heartbroken when he thought how.

"Stefan! Bonnie! We need blood!" Caroline shouted over her shoulder before turning back to Elena. "How are you feeling?" she asked gently, wrinkling her nose as she remembered how she felt as a new vampire.

"Different. Everything is so much clearer," she said, squinting her eyes, trying to get to the human visibility she was used to. "I'm really hot, like, burning inside," she said, looking between the vampires on either side of her, hoping that this was normal.

"All your senses and emotions are heightened now," Caroline explained. "That's why vampire sex is so great."

Damon and Elena looked at her. The blonde shrugged.

"What? It does. I'm just trying to lighten up the situation," she said. Damon shook his head before turning back to Elena.

"Your body is still getting used to the changes, you need to drink human blood to complete the transformation, and then your temperature should settle to the average," he explained, trying to show support.

He knew very well that this was going to be a difficult time for Elena, so he was going to try and control his outrage. Elena chose this to protect him, and he knew he should respect that, but he was just so fearful of how much she was going to hate her life now; how much she was going to hate him. He knew she didn't want this for herself, and he didn't want it for her, either. But there was no going back. What's done was done, and they had to learn how to deal with the consequences.

Stefan appeared in the doorway, three blood bags in his arms. He kneeled next to Damon, his focus on Elena.

"You're going to need to drink this, Elena," he explained, handing one of the bags to her. "You're going to feel very strange; I can't describe the feeling of your first feed, but don't worry about whatever you feel happening to your body, it's normal."

Elena looked at the blood bag before her, and she understood what Stefan meant when he said 'strange feeling'. The skin on her face felt dry and thin, like it felt when it was about to peel from a sunburn. She lifted her hands to her face and felt veins popping up, surely visible through her tight skin. Her mouth began to salivate, and she let out a cry as fangs pushed their way through her gums. Her eyes never strayed from the bag of blood, her pupils dilating as she smelled the rich metallic sent that her body seemed to be screaming for.

Without any thought or restraint, she tore her meal out of Stefan's hands and brought it to her lips, slicing the bag open with her fangs as if she had been doing it her entire life. She gulped the red plasma down without a care, indulging so fast that blood began to overflow in her mouth and drip down the sides.

Damon watched, heart sinking, as Elena, innocent, good Elena, transformed into the monster he inadvertently forced her to become. As Elena licked the last drops of blood from the first pack and reached for the next one Stefan was handing her, Damon stood abruptly and marched out.

Elena, consumed by her hunger, vaguely registered this somewhere in her mind as she devoured the second bag. Half way through her feeding, emotions and thoughts flooded her body.

She was drinking blood. Human blood. She was a vampire. She was a monster. Damon had walked out because he was disgusted. She was a vampire. She was a danger to everyone around her. She was a danger to herself. She loved the Salvatore brothers, but they had hurt her so bad. Damon couldn't look at her without seeing a monster. She was a monster.

She began to cry as she gulped the blood, and Caroline began rubbing her back. She was so scared at what was to come, the eternality that was her life, that was her guilt should she ever snap and lose control. How would she be able to live with herself if she killed an innocent person? She couldn't trust herself around humans until she was sure that she wouldn't break.

When she was done with the blood, she was aware once more of the room around her. Stefan was looking at the ground, Caroline was looking at her with pity in her eyes, and Damon had stormed out. Elena felt herself start sobbing again as she thought of how much she had hurt the Salvatore brothers, and how much they had hurt her.

All of her human emotions had rushed back a tenfold, and she turned into Caroline, who held her friend as she cried. The brunette thought of how much she had hurt everyone in her life. Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, Jeremy, Stefan, Damon…the list went on and on. And now, her life eternal, she'd be able to hurt Caroline, Stefan, and Damon for eternity, adding to the list whoever else she might meet 50 years from now when she pretended to be in high school for the fifth time. She let out an audible sound of anguish when she thought about how she'd never have children. How she'd never be able to be a proud parent or grandparent. All she had wanted as a little girl was a normal life; she never wanted to be involved in all of this. But she knew she never had a choice. She was the doppelgänger.

Her mind raced through the could-have-beens and just as quickly, the would-bes, and she squeezed her eyes tight, cursing herself as she thought of the future with the Salvatore brothers. She had to figure this out, one way or another. She would not be Katherine. She couldn't have them both.

Stefan watched sadly as Caroline comforted her friend, knowing that whatever he did, he would never be able to offer her that comfort again; not after all he had done. He stood up, leaving the girls to themselves as he searched for Damon, angry that he would have the nerve to leave Elena when she was in such a precarious state.

He found his brother in his room, the place looking as if a tornado had just passed through. Damon sad in a corner, a glass of what Stefan suspected was alcohol in his hand. He looked up at his visitor.

"Don't say it, Stefan," he warned.

"For someone who loves her, you'd think you'd want to be with her when she's going through something like this," his brother chastised.

"Look who's talking."

Stefan shook his head. "I blew it, Damon. I blew it when I left town, and I blew it that night on Wickery Bridge. You still have a chance."

"I told Elena I loved her, and she threw it back in my face. Believe it or not, she still loves you," Damon wallowed. "Besides, I slept with Barbie-Klaus and Elena knows. So I'm just about as screwed as you are."

"She still turned for you, didn't she?" Stefan pointed out. "She gave up her humanity for you, Damon."

"Stop."

"She gave up everything she could have had to save you."

"Stefan," Damon growled.

"She gave up her dreams of a family, of anything lasting, and you don't think she loves you?"

Damon was up in an instant pinning his brother against the wall.

"That's the problem, isn't it, Stefan? She finally loves me and I fuck it up big time. I'm the reason she's turned into a monster. _I_ did that, Stefan. She'll always see me as the cause of her transition. The reason her life is ruined. How do you love someone who caused so much pain? You can't. She's going to realize this, Stefan, and who do you think she's going to run to? You. Because no matter what you did, it can't compare to what I did. "

"You know what, Damon? I'm not going to lie. This is your fault," Stefan told his brother, throwing him back. "But she knew what she was getting herself into when she said she'd turn. You told her not to do anything stupid, I told her not to do it, but she did it anyway. If there's one thing we know about Elena, it's that she has the ability to be strong-headed, and love someone regardless of their flaws. And those traits are going to be stronger than ever now that she's a vampire. Neither of us deserves her Damon, but if she loves you, then she's seeing something in you that's worth it, and that just won't go away. Trust her judgment, Damon," Stefan said, walking towards the door. "I'm going to check on Bonnie and Abby, then get more blood," he called over his shoulder. "Go see Elena. She needs you."

* * *

><p>Yay Stefan! Right? Right? So I know you wanted a big ElenaDamon scene, but it's coming in the next chapter! Which might be the last.

I love this story, and I love you guys, but my ideas for this story were short-term. Elena becomes vampire, lots of Damon. I thought about making it longer, but I'm just not having a lot of luck with inspiration. However, if I do, I will definitely start writing more, so keep this on story alert and me on author alert, because I might just add on, or I might to a sequel.

I love you guys so much! I hope you're not too mad at me! Please REVIEW and here's the question:

What do you prefer to dip your tortilla chips in: Cheese dip (queso) or salsa?


	6. Chapter 6

First off, I want to give all of you a HUGE thank you; I checked my traffic stats, and this story got over 2,000 hits today. That's **TWO-FREAKING-THOUSAND** hits! I love y'all so much, and I'm glad you've been loving what I've been writing. This WILL be the last chapter, but there will be a sequel. Please remember that. Please. If you haven't reviewed this story at all, review this chapter, I beg you. Just tell me how you liked it, if you're looking forward to the sequel, a certain thing you liked about the story. I reply to every review; I really care about my readers.

Poll: Queso: 2. Guacamole: 1. Plain: 1. Chili cheese: 1

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Caroline held her best friend in her arms as the brunette's cries weakened.

"Elena, I know what you're feeling. Right now, everything you felt as a human is coming back and hitting you a million times harder. You get used to it pretty quickly, but it takes about a day or two. I know you don't want to hear that everything will be fine, but everything will be fine," the blonde whispered, rubbing her friend's back. "I know you never wanted to be this, but it's okay. Everyone you love loves you just the same."

Elena pulled back to look at her friend. "Thank you so much for being here Caroline," she managed through sniffles. "I feel like you're the only person who doesn't hate me right now."

"Elena, no one hates you," Caroline reassured her.

"Bonnie's mad for what happened with Abby, Damon's upset with me for what I said at the Original's ball, and Stefan's hurt because he thinks I moved on to Damon," Elena said shakily, trying to quell her tears.

"Well, they all have a valid reason, Elena," Caroline told her softly. "It doesn't mean they won't come around."

"Now that I'm a vampire, I'm going to live forever, Caroline," Elena stated, picking at the bed sheet. She looked back up at her friend. "I'm going to spend eternity with the Salvatore brothers, and no matter what I do, I have to hurt one of them."

"You don't _have_ to spend eternity with them, Elena. They're not the only vampires you know," Caroline smiled. "As soon as we graduate, you and I could get out of here; maybe go to New York. We could do whatever we want. Two hot chicks like us? We'd be a couple of regular heart breakers!" she exclaimed, nudging the girl beside her, hoping to earn a smile.

Elena forced a smile at her friend. Caroline was trying to help, and Elena knew that. She appreciated that. But everything she said just seemed to trigger such terrible emotion for Elena. Wasn't breaking hearts her problem? She looked up as she heard footsteps approaching.

Damon appeared in the doorway, grasping something in his hand. He rapped his knuckles on the door frame lightly before catching the girls' attention.

"How're you feeling?" he asked tentatively, walking in and sitting in the chair next to the bed. He could tell that she had been crying, and he felt selfish for running away.

Elena answered with a nod.

"You need to get on your feet, get used to things," Damon told her, offering her a bracelet. It had the same stone in it as Caroline, Damon, and Stefan's rings. She knew exactly what it was for. It was to help her walk in the sun without burning. "I got this from Bonnie before she took Abby back to her house. She knew you wouldn't be comfortable around her until you were comfortable with yourself, so she said call her when you're ready," Damon relayed.

"Thanks," Elena said, holding out her arm as Damon fastened the bracelet around her wrist.

"Well, I'll just be going," Caroline said, giving Elena a pointed look before hugging her on the way out.

Damon offered Elena his hand. "You ready?" he asked, anticipating her questions and nervousness to learning what being a vampire was all about.

"As I'll ever be," she sighed, taking his hand.

"Alright, so next, we're going to talk about running," Damon told her. "Now, you actually don't have to put any effort into running super-fast, you have to put effort into running like a human. To control yourself."

Elena nodded. This was so much to take in, she hated it. She ran passed Damon with ease, then focused to run back to him as a human pace, as he had instructed.

"See, you're catching on just fine!" the black-haired vampire encouraged. "That will come in handy when you're chasing bunnies…or deer…or whatever defenseless woodland creature you decide to feed on."

"Damon-"

"It was a joke, Elena," Damon assured her. "But seriously, it will come in handy when you're murdering Bambi for breakfast."

Elena cracked a smile for what felt like the first time since she had accepted her fate of becoming a vampire. She bumped into him with her hip, causing him to smile as well.

It was nice seeing Elena smile again, hearing the sound of her soft laughter. Damon was glad that she seemed to be returning to the Elena that he knew, and that he was the one helping her with that transition.

Oh but how quickly things could change.

It was in the middle of strength training when she snapped.

"Damon, we've been doing this for hours. I'm tired, I'm hungry, and I just want to take a break!"

Damon, while teaching her, had begun to worry about the Originals. How they could be watching them right now, and how Elena didn't know how to defend herself. He had begun to push her harder than he had at the beginning of the day.

"Not until you're able to fight me off," Damon insisted as he slammed her into a tree. She needed to be able to fight for herself. He wouldn't let her out of his sight until he knew she'd be safe.

"You've had over one hundred years of experience, I've had 5 hours; can we do this tomorrow?"

"Yeah, and the Originals have had over one _thousand_ years' experience, Elena. Now fight me off," he demanded, switching them to where he had her on the ground.

"Damon, get off me!" Elena struggled.

"No. You have to make me get off. It's not that easy," the vampire taunted her.

"Get off!"

"No."

"Damon!"

"Make me."

"I don't want to do this anymore, Damon!"

"This was your choice, so you have to learn!" he shouted at her in motivation, only to realize what he had said, and how utterly wrong and terrible it was.

With hurt and anger ablaze in those brown eyes of hers, Elena threw Damon off of her, his back hitting a tree.

"My _choice_?" she cried, standing up. "Damon, I did this for you! I did this so you wouldn't die! I did this so I wouldn't have to-"

Damon cut her off by pulling her into a tight embrace, her head pressed against his chest, right where his heard was. His hand was on her head, not allowing her to turn and yell at him.

"I didn't mean that Elena. I know why you did it, and I will be eternally grateful for that. I just- I hate that it came at the expense it did. I know you never wanted this. And you didn't deserve it. You deserved to live your life as normal as possible. I hate myself for this, Elena. And I hate that you'll always resent me for it. And I take my anger out on you, because of what I made you. I'll never be able to apologize enough for getting myself into the situation I did, that caused you to turn into this." He could feel tears glistening at the back of his eyes, and he felt a wet spot on his shirt, presumably from Elena's tears. He stroked her hair, hoping that his apology had earned him forgiveness.

Elena slowly pulled back from the vampire, wiping her eyes. "It's fine, Damon, no harm done," she said, looking down.

"I just want you to be safe. I want you to be able to protect yourself," he continued, causing her to look up. "I don't want to be scared every time I leave you, wondering if that will be the day Klaus comes." He moved forward, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand as he stared at her. "I don't want to feel sick to my stomach every time you don't answer your phone. I want to know you're able to defend yourself. I want you to live, Elena. I never wanted you to share in this curse; this punishment," he explained.

Elena could see the anxiety, the fear, the hope, the self-loathing in his blue eyes as they bore down on her. He cared for her. A great deal. She had always known this, but she had pushed it away. She had tried to keep it locked up. But she knew if there was ever a time, this was it.

"Damon…" she began, faltering. Her mind was rushing with what she would say, how she would approach this. "Don't blame yourself for this. I don't," she told him, placing her hand over the one on her face. "It's hard. And it's going to be hard, but I'll get used to it. Especially since I have you to help me."

Blue eyes stared into brown eyes in a moment of pure, organic, silence. Their hands had become intertwined, and Elena's breathing had become shallow.

She slowly rose up on her toes, breaking eye contact only for a brief second as her eyes flickered involuntarily to his lips. She looked back into his eyes gauging his reaction before she brought their lips together.

It was sweet. Natural. It was something completely new. She had made the first move. She had put herself out there, taken a chance. She pulled back after a few seconds and looked up at Damon.

He was looking at her with a look in his eyes that she had never seen before. It took her a second to place it. Happiness. True happiness.

"Elena-" he began.

"I love you, Damon."

He couldn't control the smile that spread over his features.

"I'm so sorry about everything I've put you through. It was wrong. I've just been so scared of becoming Katherine, I just wanted to ignore-"

"Hey, hey, hey," Damon shushed her, bringing his other hand to cup her face. "You are _nothing_ like Katherine. Do you hear me Elena Gilbert? Nothing." He pulled her into a tight, reassuring hug.

She squeezed her arms around him. It was so nice to have that reassurance, to know that not everyone thought she was changing into a monster.

"What about Klaus?" the brunette asked, voicing what had been in the back of her mind through the whole transition.

"We'll deal with that when the time comes," he told her as she looked at him.

Elena nodded. Seeing the worried look on her face, Damon closed the gap between them, kissing her with fervor, his hand cradling the back of her head as he took control of the kiss. It was the first time Elena didn't hesitate in kissing him back, and Damon couldn't contain his joy. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her into the air, causing her to break the kiss and laugh.

"I love you, Elena."

"I love you too, Damon."

A third voice made its way through the trees.

"Well isn't this cute?"

The two vampires looked towards the voice, where Katherine Pierce made her way out of the foliage, a smirk on her face.

* * *

><p>I need to go into hiding now, don't I? I couldn't resist ending it like this. I had to. Please review and tell me what a terrible person I am. And how you liked the story. I hope the DamonElena scene was to everyone's liking, and I'm sorry you only got a little glimpse of their relationship. I really love hearing what you guys have to say, I can't stress that enough. If you only review one of the chapters, let it be this one!

xoxo klcthenerd


	7. Sequel

Hey everyone! Just to let you know if you didn't already, there IS a sequel to "Shared Reparation"!

It's called "The Power of Two" and can be found on my profile :)

Enjoy!


End file.
